Variables

"For the performance in this place, you can lower your head a little lower, don't keep your face expressionless, change it slightly, and exaggerate it. The director will not give you a close-up shot, and if you lower your head, the light will be darker, and the exaggerated expression can be more obvious..."

Sitting in the corner of the studio, Downey held the script and explained the scene to the actor in the same crew.

The actor's surname is Zhang, an actor from Asia. In the movie, he plays an Asian military commander - just like the other Wallfacers are thinking about ways to save mankind, he is also doing this preparation. 

Unlike other Wallfacers who were restricted, he gave up on all humanity from the beginning, only considered the methods of human civilization, and achieved a certain degree of victory. This task is not easy for a very charming character to perform.

Logically speaking, Downey doesn't need to know these things. It's not as if he's portraying this character, and he doesn't have any association with the role, so there's no need for him to be involved.

However, these days, he knows all of these very well. Because in front of him, the actor who plays this role has been asking him questions these days, his grasp of this character is pretty good.

But who would have thought that he didn't even know this person before joining the crew? 

At that time, this person who had only acted in a few TV series had no connection with him at all. That is to say, they didn't get to know each other until they arrived on the set. 

After they met, they quickly got to know each other and started communicating more. This actor didn't have much experience in acting, but he consistently approached Downey with questions. Downey, in turn, provided very detailed explanations each time.

Observing the actor in front of him, who appeared to grasp the information but had a respectful look on his face, Downey found himself caught between amusement and concern. The actor's skills seemed genuinely lacking, yet Downey took solace in the fact that there was someone willing to seek advice on acting.

It seems that this situation has not happened for a long time. In his early years, when he was still a big star, many young people around him always wanted to curry favor with him at that time. He only had an indescribable dislike for such people and felt that they were all just followers.

However, after a long period of self-destruction, there is no such person around him anymore - he also understands very well. During those days, when he saw someone he knew, he wanted to borrow money to buy drugs. It's strange that anyone would pay any attention to him.

When he returned to Hollywood again, he was no longer the talented actor he once was. Even when he asked his girlfriend out for the first time, she thought she was dating a weirdo instead of a handsome guy. Years of fooling around had entirely ruined his image, and he had tasted all the warmth and coldness of human relationships.

After years of being ignored, Downey was quite touched that someone could be so serious about asking him for advice on acting skills when there were many big-name actors in the crew who were better than him. 

Because of his disorderly life in the past, not many people are willing to talk to him - although many people in Hollywood are addicted to drugs, not many have become as infamous as he is. 

No one wants to be easily contaminated by such a person, especially since he has long lost his reputation. An actor with an important role took the initiative to ask him about acting skills, which greatly satisfied his self-esteem.

Although, the person who came to consult him ​​was not a big name or a celebrity. He's just a young Asian actor - but no matter who he is, he is regarded as an actor. Instead of being a big smoker, isn't that a good thing?

And while your self-esteem is being satisfied. Naturally, he was not stingy and told all about his acting experience without any reservation - no one had listened to him for so long, and now someone was willing to talk to him, even if it was just about his acting skills.

"Pay attention to your eyes. When the focus of your eyes falls on the actress, you need to be emotional. 

 Your character is very cold. If you want to offset this, you must express the character's tender side. There is no arrangement for you in the play. There is an emotional scene with this woman, but you need to express yourself. 

 I think the director will approve of this..."

***

Downey once again expressed his opinions while reading the script, and Zhang Hanyu repeatedly nodded after listening to his words.

Since joining the crew, he soon discovered that he was probably the worst actor in the cast. Those people were all big names compared to him, and the gap was really too big. 

This gap once made him worry about whether he could really act well and perform this role well. Maybe he will become the biggest variable in the movie.

However, the director soon gave him a way: the director asked him to ask Downey for advice. This method was really wonderful.

No one is more suitable to teach others than Downey, who is now lonely and bored: what he needs now is someone to listen to who respects and talks. No one is more suitable to be a listener than myself: for me, it is a very rare experience to hear celebrities talk about their filming experiences.

Zhang Hanyu did get a lot of help from the director's arrangement. Downey's explanations were very detailed and hardworking. Compared with some real acting teachers, they were more responsible, which benefited him a lot.

"There is nothing difficult about this place. If you think about it again, you will understand it." After Downey explained, he patted the script into his arms. "You have to tighten your grip. Is this scene the last part that needs to be shot now?"

"Yes, after we finish shooting these, we are going to shoot the exterior scenes."

"The exterior scenes... are quite exciting..." Downey smacked his lips with a hint of expression. With a hint of fascination, "It's a rare opportunity to go abroad and see other scenery."

Zhang Hanyu didn't speak; he just looked at him. Compared to himself, why didn't Downey get help? For him, isn't it a big gain that his mood has improved now?

The director's arrangements and the hardships he overcame were not just his own variables.

***

The parts that need to be completed in the studio have basically been completed now. Levi observed something else before leading the team to depart from the United States for on-location shooting.

After shooting more than half of his movie, the cost accounting was also going on simultaneously. And a very surprising news is that his movie's cost does not seem as expensive as he imagined. 

If they continue to shoot in this manner, there's a possibility that the $300 million budget for filming expenses may not be fully utilized even after completing the final scenes of the movie.

Thinking about it carefully, this seems quite reasonable: The reason why Levi always thought that the filming of the movie required 300 million dollars was because he always remembered that the filming of Avatar cost 350 million dollars. 

He wanted to make a movie as good as Avatar. Naturally, when it comes to investing, one does not want to be careless in the slightest. 

James Cameron is known as the tyrant on the set and the king of over-budgeting. If Levi wanted to make a movie as extravagant as Cameron's, in his opinion, the cost of 300 million US dollars should be indispensable. 

So, he also thinks the movie needs that much.

However, if you think about it carefully, it seems that a large part of the cost of filming Avatar is the cost of the upfront investment.

A large part of these investments are used in investment in special effects production. James Cameron has been preparing for the movie Avatar since the 1990s. 

In order to shoot the movie, he spent a large part of his funds on research on creating special effects. And these calls cost money. When calculating the investment for Avatar in the later stage, he also included it all. 

This was not wrong because these studies were originally spent on filming the movie. 

However, if calculated this way, the cost of the movie would undoubtedly be much higher.

The actual filming investment for this movie has often been rumored to be around 237 million - placing it slightly lower than the budget for the future Pirates of the Caribbean 3 and even Spider-Man 3.

Although those two movies can't compare with Avatar in terms of scenes, the investment in movie actors is not small at all. Their expenses are also around 250 million. It's just that compared to Avatar, they lacked the initial equipment and technology preparation expenses, so the total cost was not as good as Avatar.

However, saving money later in the shooting is naturally impossible without preliminary preparation. Avatar invested money in the preliminary preparations, so it cannot be miscalculated.

If you calculate it this way, it is easy to understand why Levi's film investment has a surplus: when it comes to pre-production, Levi invested a lot but did not include it in the budget.

Levi has been investing continuously in his own special effects company over the years. 

But unlike Cameron, when he invested, he also let his special effects company participate in the production of commercial blockbusters, and he was also making money. 

Because the company is his own, he does not expect to make money back on one movie like Cameron did. 

Moreover, his company has been involved in various business activities. It is not a purely unprofitable investment. He has not included these investments in the cost of this movie. 

But if the money is really counted, the investment in his movies is probably quite large - in the past few years, in which year has his investment in the special effects department been less than 10 million?

Moreover, there is a big problem here: although the preparation for the filming of that movie took a long time, the actual filming began in August 2007 and concluded in March 2008. 

Cameron needed to raise funds and find investments, so it took a long time to prepare. Levi's film didn't have these concerns, so he naturally started faster, and because he started early, he also benefited from the lower prices.

For these reasons, it is not surprising that he spent less money on filming his movie than Avatar.

The investment in the movie was not as much as expected. This news was an unexpected surprise for Levi, but it was more difficult for Alexander to accept.

"Since the money has been spent, don't think about saving money anymore. We have already invested so much money in the film; saving some more will not help. Don't be reluctant just because I complain. Spend money."

Alexander was a little worried about saving money on the movie. When he spends money, he always feels that it is a waste. But now that he doesn't spend money, he is worried that the movie will not be made well. This worry about gains and losses also made Levi smile bitterly.

"Don't worry, there will definitely be no problems with the filming of the movie. We have already reached this point; how could I make such a stupid mistake? 

 Besides, it is not without benefit to keep some money, right? We can spend this money on post-production. Maybe using this money in promotion is better for our movie."

*****

Thanks and kudos for my patreons 

Marcelo Maia

Britanna

Mandy G

Scott DePaepe

Oluwatimileyin Olayemi

Herylle Ian Gloria

You can read advanced chapters on my Patreon account: https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.